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Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech
Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries (0434)Nicole Hancock, Student Assistant and Kira A. Dietz, Archivist
Permission to publish material from Craft Family Collection must be obtained from Special Collections, Virginia Tech.
Collection is open for research.
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Craft Family Collection, Ms2013-092, Special Collections, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.
The Craft Family Collection was donated to Special Collections prior to 2009.
The processing, arrangement, and description of the Craft Family Collection was completed in December 2013.
Jacob Moore Craft was born on May 2,1837 in Botetourt County, Virginia. His parents were David and Catherine Craft. Jacob Craft married Amanda Matheny Craft in 1873, and they had 10 children. He was a mercantile businessman. He volunteered to fight in the Civil War in Company K, 57th Regiment, Virginia Infantry and served alongside his father. He died on April 10, 1904.
Nellie "Blanche" Craft Nicholls is the daughter of Jacob and Amanda Craft. She married George Nicholls in 1925. They had two children George and Rodney Nicholls.
Sources: Find a Grave-Jacob Find a Grave-Blanche Botetourt County Virginia Heritage
The Craft Family Collection includes correspondence to and from Jacob Craft during the Civil War, as well as correspondence written to his daughter Blanche from various soldiers during World War I. There are also a several envelopes and drawings not clearly related to letters in the collection.
The letters to Craft are mostly from his mother, though a few are from other family members including his brother and sister. Jacob Craft wrote letters to both his mother and father. The letters to and from Jacob Craft describe life during the Civil War and various battles. They also discuss people who have passed away in the war.
Also in this collection are letters written to Blanche Craft during World War I. Most of the letters are written by Sergeant Cline Young and William Branske(?). The letters written to Blanche go into great detail about the War and both men are stationed in France. They describe the daily events to Blanche.
The Craft Family Collection is organized into folders based on correspondent. Envelopes and ephemera are group in a single folder. Within each folder, materials are in chronological order whenever possible.